COLUMBUS, Ohio – Rower Claire-Louise Bode and Blaz Rola of the men’s tennis team have been selected the 2012-13 Ohio State Female and Male Athletes of the Year, respectively. Bode and Rola are the first to win Ohio State’s athlete of the year accolades for their respective sports and the two move on to the ballots for the Big Ten Female and Male Athlete of the Year awards.

A 2013 Pocock First Team All-American, CRCA First Team All-Central Region and First Team All-Big Ten honoree, Bode led Ohio State’s first varsity eight to a 9-3 overall record throughout the 2013 season, including a gold medal performance at the 2013 Big Ten Championships and a bronze medal finish at the 2013 NCAA Championships.

On both occasions, the 2013 Big Ten Athlete of the Year guided her crew to title-winning performances. The first varsity eight clinched the 2013 Big Ten Championship for Ohio State, its fourth Big Ten title, after placing first in the final race of the morning to tally 63 points toward the team total and championship record 160 points. At the 2013 NCAA Championships, Bode guided the first varsity eight to a third-place finish, amassing enough points to hold off California and earn Ohio State its first NCAA Championship.

The 2013 NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Champion, Rola won his second-consecutive national title in 2013 after capturing the doubles title in 2012 with former Buckeye Chase Buchanan. A native of Slovenia, Rola defeated Virginia’s Jarmere Jenkins in the final, 7-6(8), 6-4 to become Ohio State’s first NCAA singles champion and earn his fourth All-America honor. Ranked 12th in the ITA polls, Rola was the Big Ten’s at-large singles selection and appeared in the national final for the first time in his Buckeye career. All-time Rola is 13-2 in the NCAA Singles Championship and finished the 2013 season 32-1 overall. In his three seasons at Ohio State, Rola has won at least 30 singles matches. Rola’s career singles (100) and doubles (105) wins combined is good for eighth place at Ohio State, while his 105 career doubles victories places him eighth all-time.